There were no more murders but the investigation got complicated

The Texas Moonlight Murders have grabbed the attention of the entire country. In the May 11th edition of Texarkana Gazette, Sheriff Presley and Chief of Police Jack N. Runnels asked for any information on missing persons on the nights of the murders. “Somebody in Texarkana or in Bowie or Miller counties knows that somebody else was ‘out of pocket’ on the nights of Feb 22-23, March 23–24, April 13–14 and May 3, and Sheriff W. H. Presley and Chief of Police Jack Runnels want persons having such knowledge to report to them immediately,” said the newspaper. In a joint statement, the officers stated:

We want every man and woman in these two counties to recall the dates of these murders and also to recall whether or not any person close to them was missing or out of pocket during those nights. Persons who have such information and have been withholding it when they know they should report it are leaving themselves open to possible charges of complicity in event the slayer is captured. Make no mistake about the fact that the slayer will be captured because we will not give up this hunt until he has been captured or killed.

By May 19, rumors were still being spread about the Texas moolight murders and many people believed that the slayer had been caught. Some of them believed he was being held at the Bowie County Jail surrounded by Texas Rangers with submachine guns on their knees. Others believed he was flown to an out-of-town jail. The Gazette and News offices were drowned with phone calls, both local and long distance, inquiring about the apprehension of the killer. “Newspapers Will Tell Public If Killer Is Caught”, read one of the sub-headlines of the May 19th edition of Texarkana Gazette. Sheriff Presley declared that innocent people were being accused of being the killer and asked the residents to show more consideration for their fellow citizens. Presley stated, “These rumors positively are not true. We can understand why the people believe them. All of us are tense and are hopeful that at any hour officers will announce they have the killer in custody. The people must not become so anxious to rid themselves of the killer, however, that they brand innocent persons as the murderer and believe unfounded stories. The investigating officers have announced that when and if the killer is apprehended or killed the public will be given the full story through the newspapers. We reaffirm this statement. The newspapers are kept posted on developments in the investigation and they will announce all news immediately. We believe that the people have a right to know if the killer is caught or killed and we pledge ourselves to let the public have this information.”

After the first double murder, some parents warned their children about being out late. The second double murder shocked the city and curfews were set for businesses. The height of the town’s hysteria snowballed after the murder of Virgil Starks. The Texarkana Gazette stated on Sunday, May 5, that the killer might strike again at any moment, at any place and at any one. Before, it was normal to leave your house unlocked, but soon residents started locking doors, pulling down shades, blocking windows, and arming themselves with guns. Some people would nail sheets over their windows or nail the window ...